Day Old Bread
by 1MadHat1
Summary: Connor is a forever confused android that doesn't understand what happens to him when he is around Markus until he confides in Hank. And Markus is extremely gay and is crushing hard on Connor but just needs a harsh push to get him to confess. Luckily North is there to give them that push...into a locked closet. (Connor/Markus)
1. Chapter 1

**2:46 AM, February 20, 2039**

Connor had no idea how he ended up here. It seems that somewhere along the line the android had started to come to Hank whenever he needed help, whether it was with tying his shoe or advice on a particularly difficult case. So when he found himself standing outside of Hank's door when he came back to his senses, he didn't hesitate to raise his fist and knock loudly, impatiently waiting for him to open it. Hank wasn't at all surprised that it was Connor that was knocking on his door so late, as he often did. What did surprise him was the panicked expression that he found in the young android's eyes. Any angry one-liner that Hank had prepared on his way to the door, died in his throat as he took in the appearance of his partner.

"H-Hank...I " Connor tried, but the attempt was poor, and Hank watched as the panic grew and his LED light started flashing an intimidating red color. The lieutenant immediately ushered the android into the house and onto the living room couch. Sumo, awakened by all the movement, clumsily thudded his way over to Connor who loving placed a hand on top of the St. Bernard's head. After a few moments, Connor's LED changed from the blinking red to a more thoughtful yellow that slowly circled his temple.

"Alright Connor, what the fuck is going on?" Hank asked while perching himself on the edge of the seat next to Connor. The android's eyes slowly slid from the spot of the wall he had been staring at, to the eyes of his adoptive father, his hand still stroking Sumo's head. He could feel his lip tremble, a radically unfamiliar feeling, as he hesitantly stated,

"I think Markus is killing me."

Hank had no idea what was happening, if he thought he was confused before it was nothing compared to the confusion he felt right now. Markus? Killing Connor? Nothing about that sentence made any sense. Everyone knew that Markus had developed a massive crush on the other android during the few months since he witnessed Connor leading an army of freshly stolen androids. Well, everyone but Markus himself knew. And apparently Connor.

"W-What? Why and how the fuck did you come to that conclusion?" He bitterly questioned the confusion and bewilderment evident in his tone. Connor's expression, although it seemed impossible, became even sadder as his eyes fell on his lap, filling with artificial tears.

"He makes me feel sick. My palms start to sweat, my stomach feels all weird when I look into his eyes, and my thirium pump gets out of rhythm whenever he smiles. I checked my systems, and it says there's nothing wrong, but then why am I experiencing these feelings? Why, Hank?" During the brunet's small speech, tears had started flowing freely down his face, and he had abandoned Sumo's head in favor of rolling his coin nervously between his shaking hands.

He had no idea what he expected his partner to do with the information that he had just shared, but any suggestion that his robotic mind generated couldn't have been further from what happened. Hank had started laughing. He wasn't just giggling or doing the half snort he sometimes did, he was honest to rA9, full body laughing. He'd thrown his head back, and his hand was slapping his knee as the offending sound slipped past his lips.

Connor's eyes snapped up to him in shock, and the coin fell unceremoniously from his hands. Connor had no idea how he was laughing right now. The android's life was literally at stake, and his father was laughing at his apparent pain. He found absolutely no humor in what was happening to him. Connor obviously wouldn't be able to see Markus anymore if he was indeed trying to kill him with his infectious smile and beautiful heterochromatic eyes. That thought alone had the tears streaming more heavily down his face, and his body began to shake with the force of his sobs.

The sound of the deviant's intensified crying seemed to snap the lieutenant out of whatever place he had wandered to during his laughing session. The aloof happiness he felt was immediately replaced with intense guilt and worry for his son. He pulled Connor into an awkward side hug in an attempt to comfort him before letting go and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder instead.

"Connor, you are not dying, and Markus is not killing you." He stated succinctly. Trying to draw the android out of the bottomless pit of outcomes he was dreaming up. Fortunately, it seemed to do the trick as Connor's deep, chocolate-brown eyes raised slowly and his sobbing subsided to silent tears slipping down his cheeks.

"R-Really? Then how do you explain what I'm feeling then?" He innocently asked, his voice choking on emotion and suppressed noises. Hank saw as a glimmer of hope shimmered in the brunet's eyes as he patiently awaited Hank's response.

"You have a crush on him, son," Hank said letting a soft chuckle escape his lips at the simple solution. But to his disappointment, Conner didn't appear to accept this solution, as the look of intense confusion smothered the hope that Hank had previously seen in his eyes.

"But Hank, I don't want to crush him," he said a questioning tone evident in his voice. The gray-haired detective slowly brought his hand to his head, expressing his disbelief in what his son had just said. Without lifting up his head, he quietly mumbled under his breath,

"Y'know, for an android you can be pretty fucking stupid sometimes." He then slowly lifted his head out of his hand and looked at Connor. "No idiot, you have romantic feelings for Markus. You want to kiss, fuck him, whatever androids do. "The bluntness of the statement cleared up any confusion that Connor was still suffering from, and after a few moments of thought his frown lessened, and he wiped his face with the end of his sleeve.

"So I can still see Markus?" He asked hopefully, his eyes once again filling with hope. Hank couldn't help but smile a little at how utterly adorable and innocent he could be.

"Yes, you can still see Markus. Nothing was stopping you in the first place." With that answer, Hank had the pleasure of seeing an honest smile spread across the deviant's face. This expression was the one that made him appear the most human, his eyes lit up, and it made his perfect, artificial skin, appear younger and more full of life. It was a rare treat to see him smile so honestly.

Hank thought for sure that with that conclusion, the conversation was over and he could continue his exciting night of alcohol and sleeping. He was so confident, in fact, that he had started to heave himself off of the couch when he suddenly felt a hand encircle his wrist and pull him back down. He let out an audible sigh, realizing that this conversation was still far from over. "What is it now, Connor?" Hank inquired, letting his exhaustion seep into his voice a bit, accidentally.

"Hank, there is no way that I harbor any romantic feelings for Markus. And even if I did, he definitely doesn't return them." The older man calmly looked over at the android and merely urged him to close his eyes."But Han-" Connor started, before the glare of his partner convinced him that now wasn't the time for questions. Giving Hank one last skeptical look, he slowly slid his eyes shut.

"Fucking finally, now I want you to think of Markus. Think of his smile and eyes and how he makes you feel. Only think of him."Hank muttered feeling slightly embarrassed and aggravated about what he was doing. But when he witnessed a brilliant smile spread across the younger man's face, any negative thoughts he had previously, disappeared. Although Hank loved his son, he was much too uptight all the time, and if Markus was able to bring this expression to Connor's face more often, then he knew he was leaving the brunet in good, loving hands. The sheer happiness that Hank saw in the smile was infectious, and he had unconsciously mirrored it. He watched as Connor slowly brought a hesitant hand up to his mouth, feeling the broad smile that had subconsciously found its way onto his face. "That smile is proof you do indeed 'harbor romantic feelings for Markus'" Hank said, his voice sarcastically imitating Connor's earlier statement. At the crude imitation of his voice, he allowed his eyes to slide open, he looked over at Hank before his gaze once again fell to his lap, and a blue hue began to glow on his cheeks.

"Okay, you're right Hank, the most likely explanation for my recent behavior is that I have feelings for Markus." Hank gave him a look that blatantly expressed the contempt he felt toward Connor for doubting his ability to interpret his son's emotions. For good measure, Connor added a quieter "sorry for doubting you...dad." Hank felt pride course through his body as he ruffled the boy's hair before getting up and heading back to bed. Right before he entered his room, Connor spoke up once more, "This doesn't change the fact that Markus won't ever return my feelings."

"Son, do me a favor and go talk to robo-jesus before deciding that for yourself. G'night."And with that, he lifted one hand in a Hank-like goodbye wave before retreating to his room for the night.

"Good night Hank."


	2. Chapter 2

**3:17 PM, February 25, 2039**

Markus didn't have a lot of free time since he had become the leader of a major revolution. Since androids don't need to rest like humans, he was on his feet almost 24/7 helping his people in one way or another. He never complained about the work because he honestly enjoyed helping and caring for his people, it made him feel good to know he was useful. But sometimes, the constant stream of work, the life-changing decisions and never-ending problems became too much and he desperately needed a break. And since he didn't get many of these moments, one would think he would spend this time doing something for himself or taking a much-needed rest. But no, Markus never used this time for such things, and he instead used it to think of a certain someone. A certain brunet, puppy-eyed detective that he had fallen head over heels for.

He would wrap his body in the fluffy blanket that Kara had gotten him as a gift, curl himself into a ball of self-pity, and spend a few hours just thinking about Connor. Surprisingly, these moments tended to be cynical and extremely self-deprecating. Neither Markus nor his friends understood why his infrequent breaks were so depressing. He was usually so hilarious and cheerful, especially about him being extraordinarily gay and him being gay as hell for Connor.

It had been Markus's intense enthusiasm that had encouraged his friends to trust the ex-deviant hunter in the first place. In the beginning, they had still felt a little skittish towards the detective, and all of them were adamantly against Markus's decision to bring him into the inner circle. When they conveyed their concerns to Markus, his eyes glowed, and a handsome smile had spread across his face just at the mention of the other android's name. He continued by reminding them that Connor had endangered himself for the good of his people and that alone was reason enough to trust him, and he couldn't help himself from adding under his breath, "he's also super hot," causing a laugh and knowing looks from his friends.

Whenever Connor was in the middle of delivering a particularly spirited report on the law enforcement side of the revolution, it was always Markus who would lean over to Simon and whisper, "I am so gay," which would elicit a small chuckle from the blonde and a confused pause from the brunet. And when his friends would make fun of him for the constant blushing and stuttering during a one-on-one conversation with Connor, he was always the first to laugh at himself.

He was usually so cheerful even with all the work that a leader role supplied him and being in love only heightened that emotion. Which is why it was so confusing when Markus started hiding away during his breaks and when someone would ultimately find him, he was so miserable. But sure enough, after his break was over, he would revert back to his usual self and would be normal again until his friends talked him into taking another break and he would suddenly become self-loathing again. No one knew what to do, either let him rest and be sad or let him work until he shuts down. With no other option, they allowed their leader to have his "rest" and usually left him alone with his thoughts.

Markus had mixed emotions for these moments, on the one hand, he loved the flutter in his chest and stomach when he thought of Connor's laugh or smile, but at the same time, he hated that nothing would come of these feelings. He was reasonably sure that Connor liked him okay and enjoyed spending time with him, but he was also convinced that the brunet didn't have any other, more intense feelings for him. He spends most of his "resting" period in an emotional cycle of thoughts consisting of, "but what if he did return your feelings? Don't be stupid Markus. You know that he doesn't," before one of his friends would mercilessly pull him out of the loop by slamming the door roughly behind themselves to awake him out of his thoughts.

Initially, his friends had been sympathetic to their leader's problem and had been there to provide an ear or words of comfort. But over time, they had become more and more fed up with his constant pining and vehement denial of talking to Connor about his feelings. Instead, he chose to allow only a few hours a week to spend time thinking about his own problems before going back to leading his people.

North was usually the one that interrupted, presumably because his behavior was deplorable and that level of self-loathing made her angry. She would burst into the room, slam the door and glare at him harshly. Unfortunately for her, the glare didn't seem to affect Markus, and he just looked emotionlessly at her until she broke the stare and gracefully crossed the room to sit next to him. She let her eyes wander over his curled up form,

"This is getting pathetic." She stated, her voice less accusatory and more desperate; desperate that her words would reach him and he would go do something about his problems rather than think about doing something. Her lip curled into a frown and worry glossed over her richly colored eyes. He hated seeing that expression on her beautiful face, and he desperately wished he could be the fierce action taker that he usually was, if for no other reason but to see her smile. But he just...couldn't. He didn't know why he couldn't, but he did know that the thought of telling Connor how he felt, had a shiver traveling down his spine.

Instead of responding to North's observation with an inferior come back or a half-hearted attempt at defending himself, he chose to outstretch his hand. When he slid his artificial skin back to reveal his white body, North gently did the same and intertwined their fingers. Wordlessly, Markus sent her all the fear and uncertainty he was feeling, all outcomes his android brain had produced that ended with him losing Connor forever, his frustrations with his out of character behavior, but most of all he sent the loneliness he felt by knowing that his love was unrequited. After he had disclosed to her all he had intended to, he untangled his fingers from her grip and watched as his skin slid back into place.

"Markus, I know you're scared, and I definitely would be too, but without actually telling Connor how you feel, you have no way of knowing that he doesn't love you back." She reasoned softly, angry dwindling after experiencing his emotions for herself. She could still feel his prominent fear itching just under her skin. If he thought she would give up on him now because of that stunt, he was dead wrong, if anything she felt even more motivated to help her love-struck leader.

Markus offered her a thoughtful look. She was technically correct, he couldn't know for sure without asking the man himself, but he couldn't explain the feeling that was in his gut. The nagging worry that asking would only confirm his suspicions."I can't North. I can't do it." That statement seemed to bring North's anger back full force. She roughly grabbed his cheeks with both hands forcing his dual colored eyes to lock onto her brown ones, before she started shouting,

"Markus Manfred, you instigated a civil war which liberated our people and awarded us the freedom that we dreamed of. Right now you are acting just like all androids did, like I did, being so sure that what I wanted, no, what I needed was impossible I didn't even let myself dream of it. But you were the one that changed that Markus, you made my dream a reality. So, if you even think for one second that I am going to let you believe that you are not capable of telling Connor Anderson that you love him, I will _actually_ bash your skull in." By the end of the rant, North's thirium pump was beating dangerously fast, her breath was coming out labored, and her cheeks were puffed out in anger. Using her strong grip on Markus's head, she brought his face impossibly close to hers. Lowering her tone to her quiet, intimidating voice, "So Markus, do I have to bash your skull in?"

North watched as Markus's jaw dropped and what she would like to perceive as fear, flashed in his eyes. They both knew that she wouldn't actually bash his skull in physically, but Markus knows that she's capable of making his life a living hell in other ways. After a few seconds, North heard a small murmur come from the other android, the lack of diction and low volume made it impossible for even her amplified hearing to pick up, but she didn't need to hear him to identify what he said. That didn't deter her from messing with him a little, so she pulled his face a little closer and urged him to repeat what he had just said. She was incapable of keeping a shit eating grin from spreading across her face when he mumbled a little louder, "No, you don't have to bash my skull in North."

Her excitement was palpable, and she had let go of his face and instead chose to grab his shoulders and shake him as she asked, "So that means you'll tell him then?"

Markus even surprised himself when he hesitantly answered, "Yes North, I'll tell him when I see him next." He honestly couldn't even remember how he got here, he had just told her how scared this situation made him, and now he was agreeing to do it? What is happening?

"Promise?" Relief rushed over the darker android as he saw a way out of the situation. All he had to do was not promise, then he could just continue to be miserable forever and eventually get over his feelings...hopefully.

"Promise." He had to be malfunctioning. There's no way in hell that he just said what he thinks he just said. He just promised he would do his greatest fear. Damn it!

"Good!" Was all North said, completely oblivious to the inner turmoil that was raging in her leader's brain. Before Markus could make a move to return to his cuddle of sorrow, she suddenly grasped his hand and roughly hauled him up, ignoring his startled protests.

She dragged him out of his room and down the hall before stopping abruptly and forcing him into a closet of all things. Confused, Markus started to ask why she had pulled him here before she abruptly interrupted, barking an order to "stay in the closet or so help me I will find you and _make_ you stay in this closet," before shutting the door in his face and leaving him to sit, confused, in the dark.


	3. Chapter 3

**3:34 PM, February 25, 2039**

For being the most intelligent and upgraded android that existed, Connor found himself confused a lot. Confusion was one of his least favorite emotions, it made him feel stupid for not understanding what was going on or not being able to interrupt the meaning behind someone's words. His intelligence was what made him useful, it was his "thing." Like how Markus's "thing" was leading and Hank's "thing" was coming up with creative and lewd insults; his was intelligence. In his mind, confusion was the enemy of intelligence, but at the same time whenever he found himself confused he was able to learn something new. It still angered him how often all the knowledge that he was programmed with was completely useless to him. It bothered him, he knew it shouldn't, but it did.

So when he had been innocently walking into New Jericho, and he saw North full-on sprinting at him, he hated the feeling of confusion that furrowed his eyebrows and caused him to tilt his head. He slowly stopped walking and watched as North eventually reached him, her unnecessary breath coming out faster than usual, her system working harder to regulate her body temperature. Between pants, she managed to yell, "come with me," before grabbing his wrist and roughly pulling him into the elevator.

She pushed, well more like jabbed, the number for the floor that Connor recognized as the same floor that Markus's office was on. He felt his face heat up as he remembered the revelation that Hank had helped him reach a couple nights prior. The brunet hadn't seen the bi-colored android since and at the mere thought of having to face him, now fully aware of the meaning behind his feelings, had his thirium pump pounding harder in his chest.

He cast a worried glance over at North who seemed to have caught her breath during his internal debate and saw that she was smiling. A beautiful bright smile that Connor honestly hadn't known she was still capable of producing, considering her tragic past. Just seeing her happy calmed him down a little and he was able to think more clearly, panic no longer clogging his system.

It suddenly hit him that he still had no idea where he was going or why North was so deliriously happy. Instead of letting his overactive imagination run wild with the possibilities he decided to directly ask her, "North, where are we going and why are you smiling?"

She glanced over at him when she heard him address her. Letting out a small chuckle, that Connor thought sounded like an evil laugh, she answered, "Well I'm smiling because I'm happy and we, well you, are going to do something that should have happened months ago." Before Connor could interrogate her any further, the elevator slowed to a halt and let out a high pitched ding before the doors slid open to reveal Markus's floor.

North once again grabbed Connor's wrist and, more gently this time, pulled him in the direction of Markus's office. But to his surprise, her destination wasn't the office but a closet that was down the hall. He felt the dreaded confusion flow back through his system as he tried desperately to understand what the hell was going on. Why was she leading him to a closet of all things? Was this the cleaning closet? Did she need help cleaning?

Thankfully he wasn't left to wonder for too long as she dropped the hold she had on his wrist and slowly pulled the closet door open. When he realized that there were no cleaning supplies in the closet and instead it was Markus who was leaning heavily on the back wall, he felt his face heat up in confusion. It appeared that he was in rest mode and Connor had the pleasure of watching as he slowly pulled himself from his thoughts and with his eyes still shut he let out a small sigh followed by, "Okay North, I stayed in here like you asked. What's going on?"

She opted to stay quiet and enjoy the look of confusion that flashed on his face as he slowly opened his eyes to see Connor with an adorable look of confusion on his face. The darker skinned android was momentarily caught up in how handsome the brunet looked with his messy dark hair falling into his eyes and wondering, for the millionth time, how the strands would feel in his hands. It wasn't until he actually realized what seeing the other android meant that his eyes widened in panic and he desperately looked over at North. If the grin on her face was anything to go by then he had assumed right and he suddenly felt fear tense his entire body. But before he could do so much as uncross his arms, he heard her shout, "remember your promise," as she roughly shoved Connor into the small space with him and slammed the door shut. The sound of the door locking from the outside hung in the air as the weight of the situation settled on the two android's shoulders.

"Damn it, North," he whispered underneath his breath as he began to realize that she had created a situation where he literally couldn't escape. Being in this closet was the equivalent of North shoving a spoon of peanut butter down the throat of someone who is allergic to peanuts. Or taking a person allergic to bee stings, covering them in honey and putting them on a bee farm. He felt like he was suffocating. Why did he stay in the closet?

"Markus, what exactly is going on? What promise?" Connor asked, his confusion and slight anxiety seeping into his voice. He felt as if he had accidentally done something wrong, he hadn't missed the panicked look that Markus had given him or the swearing underneath his breath. He quickly scanned through all his recent encounters with the android, looking for anything that would draw that kind of reaction out of him. Finding nothing, he felt more confused than he ever remembered being.

Even more confusing than that time when he had accidentally discovered one of Markus's sketchbooks and proceeded to open it before the leader could stop him. He expected to find the usual sketches but instead he discovered that every single page was a drawing of Connor, him with varying expressions, at different angles, and in unique colors. But before he could discover more about it, Markus grabbed the book out of his hands and quickly spirited away. Since then, whenever Connor tried to ask about the book and its contents Markus would either pretend he didn't know what the other was talking about or make up a quick excuse to leave. Connor had eventually given up.

The dim light from the opaque window illuminated the small space enough that Markus could see the puppy-eyed look that the brunet was giving him. His thirium pump fluttered, and he had to tear his eyes away from the other to keep himself from kissing that look off of his handsome face. He gave his question a thought. What was he supposed to tell him? That he had promised North that the next time he saw the ex-deviant hunter, he would confess his undying love for the other and North decided to lock them together in a closet to speed up the process? He definitely couldn't tell him that, but he needed to tell him something. But even while terrified, he still couldn't bring himself to lie to the detective.

"Well, I promised North I would tell you something, and it seems that she decided that I am telling you that something right now." During his half-confession, he had slipped to the floor and brought his knees to his chest. Connor had never seen the other android in such a sorry state, he looks like he did during the protest. Almost as if he already knew the outcome of this "something" and had already given up. He hated seeing that look on his face, and the extreme sadness in his eyes made him want to do anything to fix it. That expression was one of the reasons why he had gone to the CyberLife Tower in the first place; to give him some hope.

Connor walked the few steps to the other and slowly sat down next to him, a little closer than what was probably necessary. Markus glanced at him before returning his gaze forward, Connor stared curiously at him before voicing his thoughts, "You seem to have already decided the outcome of what will happen after you tell me this 'something.' And from your tone and body language, it is not a good outcome." Connor tried to keep his tone factual and simple like he did when analyzing crime scenes with Hank. Afraid that emotion would make the observation sound more accusatory or like the beginnings of an interrogation.

"No Connor, you're right it isn't a good outcome," Markus answered letting his head fall back and rest against the wall. Connor let another beat of silence pass before he realized that the other android had no intention of continuing. He slowly bumped their shoulders together in what he hoped was a comforting gesture before speaking,

"I did the exact same thing not too long ago. I jumped to conclusions and ended up on Hank's porch crying," he smiled a little at the memory, "I had assumed someone else's feelings, and after he finished laughing at me he told me to talk to him," he quickly switched to a creepily perfect imitation of Hank's voice, "'before deciding that for yourself'." He switched back to his normal voice before finishing his thought, "In summary, I might react unexpectedly, you won't know unless you actually tell me."

Markus actually found himself chuckling a little at the sudden impersonation of the Lieutenant, the rough, gravelly voice extremely unexpected. And the attempt that Connor made to comfort him caused his metaphorical heart to swell, knowing that emotions were still hard for him to communicate made the effort that much more special to Markus. It was in that stupid, random moment that everything finally clicked together. His friends had been right all along, he needed to tell Connor how he felt, he couldn't avoid it any longer. He wanted to be happy, and he couldn't imagine himself feeling that way without the brunet by his side.

Not wanting to spew all of his feelings out at once, he decided to start small, "Have you ever dated anyone, Connor?" Because his head was still leaning against the wall, he felt more than saw the small shake of Connor's head. This answer didn't surprise him, because, although he was drop-dead gorgeous, his awkward personality and innocent exterior didn't appeal to most androids. But for Markus, that was exactly what he loved about him, his looks were just an added bonus in Markus's eyes. "I have. Dated someone I mean."

This news wasn't at all surprising to Connor. He didn't know that he had dated anyone, but Markus was so amazingly perfect that it would have been more surprising if he hadn't. That didn't stop him from being curious though, "Oh, who?"

"North."

Again, this wasn't all that shocking to Connor. They were both attractive (Markus more so in Connor's opinion) and they sent a lot of time together, both during and after the revolution. But apparently Markus had thought of it as a big reveal and his silence caused Markus to lift his head off the wall to look at him, raising an eyebrow. Connor quickly let out an obviously fake gasp, bringing a hand to cover his mouth. This terribly phony reaction caused a small chuckle to tumble from the leader's lips and a goofy smile to spread on Connor's face.

The incident caused Markus to actually make eye contact with him. Not only did the brunet love to see the uniqueness of his dual colored eyes, which never failed to make his stomach twist into knots, he also loved to see the depth in them. Android eyes used to be only plastic that allowed for sight, nothing more, nothing less. But Markus's eyes held so much emotion, so much history. They showed his pain and his sorrow, his mistakes, and his triumphs. His eyes were like a storybook that Connor had the pleasure of reading and experiencing every time they made eye contact. Even before he discovered his feelings for the other, he could have stared into the other's eyes for decades, no matter how cliche.

After enjoying the moment they had no other choice but to continue the serious conversation. Since Markus didn't look as though he wanted to bring it back up, the responsibility fell on Connor's shoulders, "Dated? Past tense?" He hadn't let the small detail slip by him the first time but the question of "who" was far more pressing. His heart sank a little when Markus tore his eyes away from Connor's. Now that he was no longer making eye contact with the other android he felt...incomplete. Honestly, the new feeling scared him.

"Yeah past tense, we only dated for like a week or two right after the protest. But it just didn't work, we wanted it to work so bad but...it just didn't," Markus confessed, his mouth pulled into a grimace and Connor recognized the intense look of guilt in the other's eyes. Connor was all too familiar with that expression, he saw it in the mirror every day after all.

It was apparent that he blamed himself for the failed relationship and just the thought of it caused his pain to come back in waves. Connor wanted more than anything to be able to end the conversation; the pain, but he knew that it had to continue in order for them to get anywhere, so he tentatively asked, "Why not?"

The question just made Markus's eyebrows pull together and his shoulders to drop, the sadness in his eyes turned to defeat when he answered the other's question, "I honestly don't know how we didn't see it during the revolution, but we are so different Connor."

"She's violent, I'm peaceful; she's hesitant around strangers, and I'm trusting; she's a pessimist I'm optimistic. Whoever says that opposites attract was dead wrong because all our differences did was make us argue. Our opinions always butted heads and soon enough we couldn't agree on anything. We just didn't fit, too different."

He seemed to be on a roll, sadness soon replaced by rage as he continued to rant about the relationship. Connor had a feeling that this was the first time Markus was voicing these emotions. He had become a sounding board to everyone else's problems so often that he forgot to consult anyone about his issues. The thought sent a pang through Connor's body and vowed that he would become Markus's personal sounding board from now one. Not wanting to interrupt the rant, Connor bumped their shoulders together again in a silent show of support as Markus continued,

"Well, you know that sexual orientation isn't that big of a deal to androids. For androids, we are so new to literally all emotions, to us it really doesn't matter who you love because the fact that we are able to love is amazing in itself." Connor, of course, knew all this but the leader always seemed happier when he was talking about what his people were able to do now that they were deviant. "So it wasn't a big deal when I told her I was gay-"

Connor's eyes widened in shock, and his jaw dropped slightly, he had no idea that the other was gay. Markus threw him a look that blatantly said _Really? Dating North wasn't surprising, but my sexual preference is?_ Connor snorted a little and shrugged his shoulders, "I hadn't realized, that's all."

"Connor, Josh literally painted my office walls rainbow for like a week as a prank. A whole week Connor, it was funny though I'll give him that." Connor just shrugged his shoulders again with a shy smile on his face as he gestured for the other to continue. "Anyway, the news was pretty much the end of the relationship when we realized that there wasn't even physical attraction left after we had exhausted any and all emotional connection."

"The funny thing is," a small smile crossed Markus's face, "that as soon as we broke up officially and went back to being friends we had literally no problems. Virtually no arguing or conflicting opinions, we went back to being completely in sync. It still alludes us as to why dating was so drastically damaging to our relationship. But we are fine now, so it's all good, but those were some of the most emotionally taxing weeks I've ever experienced."

Connor let the story sink in, and he felt a little exhausted just listening to the inner turmoil that the other had experienced in such a short amount of time. He couldn't imagine what that would have been like, especially because he didn't have anyone to talk to about it. At least Connor had Hank. His vow to get Markus to confide in him strengthened tenfold; _he_ would be Markus's Hank.

He gave Markus another confused look before asking, "Why did you tell me that?" Although, it was an extremely personal story it wasn't the elusive "something" that Markus had yet to tell him. Connor's curiosity flowed through his body with every thump of his thirium pump, he wanted to know so damn bad what the other had to tell him.

Markus took a second to think before answering honestly, "Well before we started dating she told me that she loved me and I thought that I loved her too. It was only after we had broken up that I realized that I was wrong. That what me and North had wasn't what I thought love should be."

Connor, barely able to keep a lid on his intense curiosity, managed to whisper, "Well, what do you think love should be?"

"I don't know what it should be, but I know how I feel. When I fell in love I didn't even realize it at first, falling for him was so easy. It was slow in the beginning, I would catch myself thinking about him constantly, he would be the last thought before I slipped into rest mode and the first when I woke up. Whenever he would look at me with his confused puppy dog eyes, I felt my knees go weak, and it would take everything in me to stop myself from kissing him right then and there."

"Everything he does is both the cutest and hottest thing I have ever seen," an involuntary smile found its way onto his face as he recalled memories, "like when he sneezed for the first time and scared himself and spent the rest of the day sure that death was imminent. Or when I tagged along to work with him because I heard that he often licked stuff and rA9 I wanted to see that first fucking hand. And when Simon pretended to hit on him to get a reaction out of me, and he didn't understand the cheesy pickup line that Simon used and proceeded to explain how 'Happiness' did indeed start with an 'H' and not a 'U'"

"But it really didn't hit me until later, since I don't see him nearly as much as I'd like it took a little longer to realize that whenever I'm around him, I feel light, like all of my problems don't matter when he is next to me. He is able to lift the weight of the revolution off my shoulders so effortlessly. He was like coming up for fresh air like I was drowning and without even realizing it, he saved me. When I actually realized that I was in love I wanted to shout it to anyone who would listen. Suddenly everything that ever caused me pain faded away and this amazing feeling took its place. This feeling that I can do anything, that nothing is impossible when I have him in my life."

Connor was suffocating. He had virtually stopped listening to the other when he heard the words 'when I fell in love' come out of his mouth. Markus didn't love him back. His world had stopped spinning, its colors slowly grayed and all warmth faded until he felt like he stood in a cold wasteland rather than a closet. He isn't outwardly expressing how broken he is, as he silently watches the joy apparent on the others face, no... he would save the meltdown for later; when he was alone. He silently curses Hank for telling him the real meaning behind his feelings. Thinking he was dying-actually dying would be better than the pain he is in right now, listening to the love of his life telling him how he's in love with someone else.

But he manages to tough through the speech, vaguely wondering when he would be let out of this closet. He wanted to run far away from Markus, probably to Hank's to play with Sumo because that always makes him feel better. He is briefly distracted with thoughts of the lumbering St. Bernard wishing more than anything he could be cuddling him instead of sitting next to his unrequited love.

But then he feels lips pressed against his.

His eyes grew wide as his mind attempted to figure out what is happening. How? Why? What? The only person that could be kissing him is Markus who just went on about the person he loved for like 10 minutes. Why is he kissing Connor now?

He couldn't bring himself to care anymore.

He starts kissing back.

Connor couldn't help himself, he wanted more, anything that Markus would give him. He quickly pushed his tongue against the seam of the darker skinned android's lips and, when he welcomingly granted access, delved into his mouth. It was a sloppy, desperate kiss that expressed all the emotions that Connor was feeling. He was constantly afraid that Markus would come to his sense and immediately recoil in disgust at what he was doing. Subconsciously, the brunet's arms reached up and wrapped tightly around the back of his neck, attempting to bring their lips even closer together.

He still wasn't close enough, although their lips were tightly locked together, Connor always felt as though he were miles away from the other. He quickly swung his leg over Markus and settled heavily in the other's lap without breaking the kiss. The new position caused a ragged moan to escape from the heterochromia eyed android's throat which startled Connor into completely processing his actions. He quickly pulled away, horrified by what he had done, he had taken advantage of the leader because of his own selfish feelings.

The sudden halt of kissing didn't seem to phase Markus, when his eyes fluttered open Connor melted in his gaze. He had never seen the other's eyes so expressive, which is honestly impressive because Connor witnessed the moment when Markus met Gavin.

Markus had come to the precinct because he was curious to see the detective work after something that Hank had said to him. While they were sitting at his desk, Connor was looking over some files and Markus was reviewing an upcoming speech, Gavin walked in. Connor could only _assume_ that he said some idiotic, ignorant comment about androids since he had stopped listening to the insensitive man a long time ago. But whatever profanity he yelled this time seemed to strike a cord in the leader and his expressive eyes had filled with anger and hate. Needless to say, Connor grabbed the other android and got the hell out of there before he had a chance to do anything rash. While calming him down, Connor promised to make him pay for whatever he said; let's just say that they took extra pleasure in "accidentally" pouring a scorching cup of coffee in Gavin's lap later that day.

But the emotion that shown in his eyes was vastly different from then, his dilated pupils gave away his arousal, and Connor could almost see the word 'finally' spelled out in his irises. It wasn't only his eyes that led Connor to this conclusion, a light dusting of blue shinned on his cheeks, and a bright and satisfied smile adorned his handsome face. If the detective didn't know better, he would say that Markus looked happy-ecstatic even-about the kiss.

Looking at Markus's blue blush made him painfully aware that his own face was burning blue. Except his blush wasn't subtle and pretty like Markus's, no he blushes a deep blue that covers his entire face and traces down his neck to spread onto his chest. When he's embarrassed, it isn't only his LED light that gives it away.

Besides the blushing, Connor's expression differed significantly from Markus's. He wasn't smiling. Instead, a deep frown pulled at his lips as tears slowly made their way down his blue cheeks. Between small sobs, he manages to stutter out, "Why would you kiss me? What about this someone you love so much?"

Seeing Connor's reaction causes a pang of sadness to weave itself into Markus's entire being. His glowing happiness now replaced by a soft smile and confident eyes as he brings his hand to Connor's face and wipes the tears from his face. Once his hand settles on his cheek, he whispers reassuringly, " _You_ are the person I love, idiot," before pulling him in for another kiss.

It takes a second for Markus's words to properly register through all of his panic, but when the full weight of those words hit him, he wrapped his arms around the other's neck, let his eyes drift shut and eagerly leaned into the kiss. Their second kiss didn't feel as rushed, Connor no longer afraid that Markus was going to pull away at any moment. This time they kissed slowly, cherishing the feeling of their lips pressed together, the unmistakable sense of perfection. He felt Markus smile, and let out a content sigh, this is happiness, he realized.

After enjoying the moment, Connor once again pulled away from the kiss. He rested his forehead intimately against the leader's and gazed into his eyes, his own half-lidded. This time Connor is sharing the same expression that Markus was earlier, a broad, ecstatic smile spread across his features. Although tears still streamed down his cheeks, they were no longer ones of pain, instead of absolute and undeniable happiness. Markus had matching tears sprouting from his eyes, but Connor could see an outline of a heart that beat in his mismatched irises.

The detective had been so caught up in the kiss and his happiness that it suddenly hit him that he had forgotten to actually respond to the other's confession. Without wasting another second, he opens up a connection between their foreheads, which as still leaning against one another. Because of the connection, Markus could feel Connor's emotions when he says, "Fuck, I love you too." The confession causes the leader to somehow smile harder and broader, his eyes shining bright enough to be suns. He makes sure the connection is still open before smashing their lips together once again so that they can feel their love for one another.

During all the excitement, a box appeared in Connor's vision that read "Markus-Lover" his thirium pump skipped a beat, and his cheeks ached from smiling so long. Guessing from the look in his lover's eyes he got the exact same pop-up. "rA9, this is the single greatest moment of my life," Markus stated, pausing between each word to press a kiss to his boyfriend's lips.

This pulled a giggle out of the other's throat, "So winning the freedom for androids that's like, what? Day old bread?" Markus pulled away momentarily as great booming laughter rolled from his mouth. His laugh was like a pile of stones being tossed around, a low rumble that started deep in his chest and slowly rose. Connor would give anything to hear that sound for the rest of his life.

They were so caught up in one another that they didn't even notice when North had unlocked the door and opened it. They were still sitting on the floor, Connor still curled up in Markus's lap. North had expected something like that, but the lack of making out or fucking surprised her. She had a moment of worry that it didn't go well and that she had inadvertently ruined everything.

But upon closer inspection, she recognized that Connor had burrowed his head into Markus's shoulder and the darker skinned android had curled his body around the others in a protective cuddle. With their eyes closed, a peaceful, almost sleep-like, expression had settled onto their features. Their hands clasped one another tightly, their drawn back skin made their mechanical intertwined fingers seem whiter in comparison.

North then understood that they were interfacing which is why they had yet to notice that she had walked in. She briefly yearned to share that kind of connection again, remembering the comforting weight of another's emotions. Missing the trust that was shared while they sorted through each other's memories, thoughts, and feelings.

But the want was gone in a flash and replaced instead by the overwhelming happiness she felt for the new couple, she almost screamed in victory that the era of Mopey Markus™ was finally over but stopped herself before she made a noise. Instead, she chose to quietly step out of the room leaving the door a sliver open, so they knew that they were no longer locked in but they continued to have privacy.

She didn't see either of them for the rest of the day, and that was 100% okay with everyone because their poor, overworked leader needs a break that only Connor can provide him.


End file.
